diff --git a/go/packages/packages.go b/go/packages/packages.go
index d35d0104..1a4c1da5 100644
--- a/go/packages/packages.go
+++ b/go/packages/packages.go
@@ -365,6 +365,9 @@ func newLoader(cfg *Config) *loader {
 	if cfg != nil {
 		ld.Config = *cfg
 	}
+	if ld.Config.Env == nil {
+		ld.Config.Env = os.Environ()
+	}
 	if ld.Context == nil {
 		ld.Context = context.Background()
 	}
diff --git a/go/packages/packages_test.go b/go/packages/packages_test.go
index b2f6a076..bdf918a1 100644
--- a/go/packages/packages_test.go
+++ b/go/packages/packages_test.go
@@ -1319,6 +1319,88 @@ func TestJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestConfigDefaultEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		// TODO(jayconrod): write an equivalent batch script for windows.
+		// Hint: "type" can be used to read a file to stdout.
+		t.Skip("test requires sh")
+	}
+	tmp, cleanup := makeTree(t, map[string]string{
+		"bin/gopackagesdriver": `#!/bin/sh
+
+cat - <<'EOF'
+{
+  "Roots": ["gopackagesdriver"],
+  "Packages": [{"ID": "gopackagesdriver", "Name": "gopackagesdriver"}]
+}
+EOF
+`,
+		"src/golist/golist.go": "package golist",
+	})
+	defer cleanup()
+	if err := os.Chmod(filepath.Join(tmp, "bin", "gopackagesdriver"), 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	path, ok := os.LookupEnv("PATH")
+	var pathWithDriver string
+	if ok {
+		pathWithDriver = filepath.Join(tmp, "bin") + string(os.PathListSeparator) + path
+	} else {
+		pathWithDriver = filepath.Join(tmp, "bin")
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		desc    string
+		env     []string
+		wantIDs string
+	}{
+		{
+			desc:    "driver_off",
+			env:     []string{"PATH", pathWithDriver, "GOPATH", tmp, "GOPACKAGESDRIVER", "off"},
+			wantIDs: "[golist]",
+		}, {
+			desc:    "driver_unset",
+			env:     []string{"PATH", pathWithDriver, "GOPATH", "", "GOPACKAGESDRIVER", ""},
+			wantIDs: "[gopackagesdriver]",
+		}, {
+			desc:    "driver_set",
+			env:     []string{"GOPACKAGESDRIVER", filepath.Join(tmp, "bin", "gopackagesdriver")},
+			wantIDs: "[gopackagesdriver]",
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(test.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			for i := 0; i < len(test.env); i += 2 {
+				key, value := test.env[i], test.env[i+1]
+				old, ok := os.LookupEnv(key)
+				if value == "" {
+					os.Unsetenv(key)
+				} else {
+					os.Setenv(key, value)
+				}
+				if ok {
+					defer os.Setenv(key, old)
+				} else {
+					defer os.Unsetenv(key)
+				}
+			}
+
+			pkgs, err := packages.Load(nil, "golist")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			gotIds := make([]string, len(pkgs))
+			for i, pkg := range pkgs {
+				gotIds[i] = pkg.ID
+			}
+			if fmt.Sprint(pkgs) != test.wantIDs {
+				t.Errorf("got %v; want %v", gotIds, test.wantIDs)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func errorMessages(errors []error) []string {
 	var msgs []string
 	for _, err := range errors {